The Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges Radio (SR) has been awarded the prestigious international Prix Italia for its digital news-search service “Nyhetssök” (News Search), based on the “NEO” AI-powered news chatbot developed by the European Broadcasting Union.
At the ceremony in Naples, SR’s entry won the Digital Innovation category in recognition of the blending of cutting-edge AI with public-service journalism. The jury praised the project for exploring new ways of serving the public in the age of artificial intelligence and for proving that verified sources and transparency can prevail in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms.
Innovation rooted in public service values
Launched in February 2025, Nyhetssök enables audiences to ask questions in natural language and receive accurate, source-linked answers drawn exclusively from SR’s own journalism.
Powered by the EBU NEO conversational AI platform, the system uses sophisticated retrieval-augmented generation to search SR’s content and generate answers that comply with the organization’s editorial standards.
“For us at Sveriges Radio it was important to be the first in Sweden with a news-search you can converse with”, said Sofia Wadensjö Karén, SR’s Programme Director. “I am so proud of all the brilliant colleagues who delivered this service so quickly to our audience.”
Max Sommerstein, SR’s Project Manager for AI & News, said: “It is inspiring to work at a company that turns 100 this year, but at the same time cultivates a culture of curiosity and innovation.”
Sébastien Noir, Head of Software Projects at the European Broadcasting Union, welcomed the recognition, noting that the award reflects both immediate impact and long-term promise: “The Prix Italia confirms the tangible value of this project, as well as its innovative nature and future potential. We’re thrilled to see SR’s courage and pioneering spirit recognised, and we look forward to the next phase of expansion.”
The winning team consisted of: Max Sommerstein (Editorial Developer AI and News, SR), Axel Lööf (Designer, SR), Carl-Johan Belfrage (Software Developer, SR), Jesper Brodin (Software Developer, SR), Shahrina Uddin (Software Developer, SR), Svante Martinsson (Software Developer, SR), Alexis Allemann (Data Scientist, EBU), Pawel Glimos (Software Developer, EBU), Rayan Arnaout (Software Developer, EBU), Jörgen Bang (Product Owner, News Team, SR), Sebastién Noir (Head of Software Engineering, EBU), Martin Heinius (Development Editor, SR).
A model for trustworthy AI in news
EBU Neo’s design emphasises transparency and verifiability: each answer is linked to its original sources, and user feedback helps continuously improve system accuracy.
For the wider public-service community, the award underscores how broadcasters can harness AI responsibly to make trusted content more accessible and engaging.
Next steps
We are enthusiastic about expanding this innovative conversational AI platform to new organisations. Our team is eager to collaborate with other broadcasters. By opening up Neo to a broader community, we aim to offer quality journalism in a innovative way to broader audience. Also, we’re committed to integrate Neo in new ways, to address the different user needs. The journey is just starting. Join us!
For more information, contact Sébastien Noir ([email protected]).